Hello Denmark! Hello Europe!

Nearly two days passed before I spotted land. The European continent. Scandinavia. The group of about 15 bikers slowly congregated on the vehicle deck. Tie downs were tossed away and everyone started donning riding gear. It took me some time.

Even in motorcycle heavy Scandinavia, Doc attracts curious passersby with the odd assortment of flag and other global stickers.

My bike sits quite high. The BMW Dakar was never meant to have a center stand, though I fitted Doc with one from Touratech. It’s not new, I have always been aware of the problem, and frankly always apprehensive about it. Because of the height of the bike, the angle of the center stand when dropped doesn’t provide enough leverage. One almost must lift the 500+ pounds of the bike to get it on the stand. This usually means two people. In Sudan aboard the ferry from Wadi Halfa to Aswan Egypt, it took three people.

Getting off the center stand is equally amusing. I usually just ask someone to push me as a rock the bike back and forth. A fellow rider from Germany pushed me.

I’m in Europe, again. This time far away from where I landed last time—in Istanbul.

The ride to the Northern most point of Denmark and the point where the turbulent waters of the North Sea and the Kattegat (Baltic) Sea meet, on a sandbar peninsula a few miles north of Skagen. The ride here passes through farmland and tiny villages, often the pungent “fresh” air of methane infused fertilizer violates me inside my helmet.

Of course I had to wander to the end of the sandbar and straddle the two great northern European seas. Marching through nearly a mile of sand in motorcycle boots isn’t so fun. But the feeling of water swirling around my feet was nearly heaven.

While the temperature was very comfortable, if not hot, I noticed blankets, usually branded with a beer logo such as Carlsberg, draped over the backs or sitting in a pile outside cafés all over town. Nice touch, if the evening chill is a bit nippy, grab a blanket—certainly more cozy and sustainable than those heaters we typically find on restaurant patios in the USA.

After a “light” lunch of traditional Danish Smørrebrød at a small outdoor cafe where Johnny A and I chowed and watched the people wander the pedestrian streets of Skagen shopping, eating, and watching street performers. I encountered these guys performing a spectacular illusion. I broadcast my amazement on Facebook Live. You can watch it here.